The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-12-14
DIGGING GOLD.
What the Real Life of a Prospector
is Like.
Miners Not Such Great Gamblers-Diffi'
eulties of tho Life-LOnely Days at
work--The Troubles with Sneak
ing Claim Jumpers.

fcOple uSeu W tuiHh Gha1 siio iiAo Va
gold-hunter is jolly one; that when
he gets out of funds he simply retires
to the nearest mountains, finds a gold
or silver mine, returns in q few days,
sells the property for a large sum and
elbows i'm his easily-acquired wealth
againsta faro bank or loses it in trying
to master the intricacies of draw
poker. After this he sallies forth as
before and refills his depleted purse.
The fact, however, is that the life of
prospector is not easy or pleasant, but
rather one of incessant toll, innumer-
able hardships and disappointments
Nor is he more given to gambling than
those who are engaged in other call
ings, In the spring-time, often with
no other companion than o stubborn
pack mule. which he leads along by
halter, the gold-hunter turns his back
on such civilization as border towns
can boast of and hides himself among
the awful solitudes of the mountains,
where he remains, except when he
repairs to the nearest settlements to
procure fresh supplies, pursuing his
lonely and dangerous tasks until the
storms of winter compel him to seek
shelter again among the habitations
of his fellow men. If percha nce he
should discover promising lead dur
ing his summer explorations. then he
builds himself a snug cabin Of logs, or.
if there is no timber in the neighbor-
hood, scoops out hole in the side OF
a mountain, and, to use his own ex-
preston, "camps on the prospect !"
His diet consists of fat bacon, bread OF
his own manufacture and coffee, oc-
casionally varied by roasted grouse. a
slice of venison or other game supplied
by his own trusty rifle. And he makes
his nightly bed on the brown lap of
mother earth.
As the gold hunter ascends the slope
of the mountain which he has selected
as the scene of his explorations, he
notes every change in the structure OF
the composition of the rocks. When
afavorable locality is reached, local,
ity where the geological formation in
dictates the presence of gold, he stops
at the first spring of water, unpacks
his outfit, pitches his tent, if he has
one, which is rarely the case, pickets
his tired mule, gathers few loose
rocks and places them in the form of 6
horseshoe on the ground, to serve as a
stove, and then, with bent head and
watchful eyes, carefully scans every
gulch and mountain side, prizes into
every nook and Granny in quest of these
signs which Mother Nature always
posts near the spot where she has hid.
den her precious treasures.
Far up on the rugged tanks of tina
storm-riven mountain the gold-hunte
breaks off piece of rock from ledge
and 10! it is flecked with bright, vel
low specks, not unlike that meta
which all mankind is so glad t.
possess. His heart beats fas
as he examines the specimen. II
vets thu bright specks with his tongu
and picks at them nervously with hi
penknife. They crumble at the touc
of that instrument and then he throw
the rock down with an angry gesture
and mutters disappointedly: pilgrim
gold, be gosh.
Now nc is down yonder in the gulch
which seems as though it might be tn
repository of q vast amount of the ye
low metal, digging a hole in th
gravel. The trend of the rut is mort
and south. Nature never piled u
drift in that manner, especially in
ravine in this range of mountain
without sprinkling it with gold.
was in just such spots as this that sh
loved to secrete her most beautifr
metal whenever it was torn from il
native home in the rock by the slowly
advancing glacier or the floods of By
goae ages. A little stream of water got
singing down the gulch, and the ia
bunch grass bends gracefully over
as If charmed by the song Hard by
chipmuuk sits as motlonless as ston
at the entrance to its little howell an
watches the intruder on its domai
with the greatest curiosity. On til
opposite flank of the mountain
coyote skulks along in the manner
o. LII xul,l, b,ob n hnua thn a 0Io